After a long time in over a century of this rivalry, the Kolkata derby will evidently decide the winners of a top flight league as Mohun Bagan and East Bengal meet at the Salt Lake Stadium in the battle for the ISL Shield in the penultimate game of the 2025-26 season.
Mohun Bagan vs East Bengal Match Details
Date: Sunday, 17 February 2026
Kick-off: 19:30 (IST)
Venue: Salt Lake Stadium, Kolkata
Mohun Bagan vs East Bengal Match Preview
Mohun Bagan was touted a top favourite to win the ISL Shield for the record-extending third season in a row after hiring one of the most successful coaches in the league in Sergio Lobera. However, it has not quite pan out that way as the team has failed to orchestrate convincing football let alone entertaining, suffered major hiccups on the way and could lose out their title defence with just two games to go if they don't find the winning rhythm. Far worse, they have allowed their rejuvenated rivals East Bengal in a much better position of winning the ISL Shield. Even though they lost just once this season, the inconsistent form of the Mariners with drawing games they should be winning has let them down massively. Mohun Bagan were in control of their destiny just two games prior and winning them would have pocketed the league. However, the side failed to gather a victory even after taking the lead against FC Goa but then shockingly dropped points in the goalless stalemate against a manager-less 10th placed Inter Kashi in their own backyard. It leaves them all to do in the Kolkata derby against East Bengal who have collected the same points as them, with 23 from 11 games in the truncated season, but leads the ISL table on goal-difference. Anything other than a victory on Sunday will make it very difficult them to finish at the top, a defeat will end all their hopes, so Lobera's men needs to be aware of the gravity of the situation. They have history backing them, having won nine of the 10 ISL Kolkata derby so far without losing in this competition, while this is the first fixture after the sad passing of their beloved former club president Swapan Sadhan Bose, better known as Tutu Bose, serving motivation in this emotional occasion.
Like their rivals, East Bengal also played an uncanny goalless draw with Punjab FC where a victory would have put them in pole position of winning the Shield for the first time ever. Despite that, they are in a better position to achieve their dream after leading the table and just two wins away from success. It will be a true reward if they manage to do so after the gigantic transformation they have had in this season from struggling to get into the top six since getting integrated into ISL in 2020 to becoming title contenders under Oscar Bruzon. While the speculation is high on the future of the manager after he has publicly stated to leave the club at the end of the season, he has the chance to sign out by giving the club their first top flight title since the 2003-04 National Football League success. It will be a momentous achievement and Bruzon's name will be etched forever in the hearts of the Red and Gold fans. Making it almost a guarantee by claiming a first ISL Kolkata derby win over their rivals will be the cherry on top of the cake. However, East Bengal only needs to avoid defeat on Sunday, despite carrying the same form graph as Mohun Bagan with less inconsistency, as their massive goal difference helped by scoring a league high 27 goals will help them edge it if the points are tied at the end. They will seek the chance after staying unbeaten in Kolkata derbies in other competitions this season but they have failed to score in the last two. The stalemate in the last game was also the first time they failed to score since early March which they need to look upon. East Bengal know they cannot bottle the chance this time after coming so close in winning the Shield and with uncertainty persisting on the future of ISL, they want to have the glorious moment of breaking their rival's dominance and secure at least continental football next season.
Mohun Bagan vs East Bengal Recent Form
Mohun Bagan: DWWDD
East Bengal: WDWWD
Mohun Bagan vs East Bengal Team News
Mohun Bagan
Mohun Bagan has been sweating on star midfielder Apuia's fitness. The 25-year-old suffered a second injury scare after taking off at half-time against FC Goa and missed the clash against Inter Kashi earlier this week completely.
He already missed a handful of games after his training injury following the Jamshedpur FC match early April. If Apuia is declared fully fit ahead of the derby, then he is expected to start against East Bengal otherwise Deepak Tangri is tipped to partner Anirudh Thapa and Sahal Samad in the midfield.
Lobera is also expected to bring back rested players from the last game in the starting eleven with Alberto Rodriguez pairing Thomas Aldred at the back and captain Subhasish Bose replacing Amey Ranawade at the left back with Abhishek Singh returning to the right. Liston Colaco will also come back into the starting lineup. Jason Cummings and Dimitri Petratos, who has scored more goals against East Bengal than any other opponent, is expected to be benched for a lack of form with Golden Boot chaser with nine goals, Jamie Maclaren returning up top.
East Bengal
Despite not having significant injury issues, East Bengal has to tackle a suspension crisis with crucial midfielders, Souvik Chakraborty and Saul Crespo suspended for accumulating too many yellow cards. The Red and Gold will also make several changes in the starting lineup after also resting several players against Punjab FC. Edmund Lalrindika is the top name that will regain the spot.
Jeakson Singh will come into the midfield to partner Mohammed Rashid or could be used as a center-back if Bruzon choose to. Miguel Ferreira could be given a more advanced role to trouble the all foreign center-backs of the Mariners while the season's top goalscorer Youssef Ezzejjari wish that he ultimately get the accolade ahead of his opposite number Maclaren with a goal on Sunday to add to his tally of 10.
Mohun Bagan vs East Bengal Predicted Lineups
Mohun Bagan
Vishal Kaith; Abhishek Singh, Tom Aldred, Alberto Rodriguez, Subhasish Bose; Anirudh Thapa, Apuia; Liston Colaco, Sahal Samad, Robinho; Jamie Maclaren
East Bengal
Prabhsukhan Gill; Mohammad Rakip, Kevin Sibille, Anwar Ali, PV Vishnu; Bipin Singh, Jeakson Singh, Mohammed Rashid, Edmund Lalrindika; Youssef Ezzejjari, Miguel Ferreira
Mohun Bagan vs East Bengal Prediction
Mohun Bagan 1-1 East Bengal
Both the teams will be aware about the occasion so a Kolkata derby loss will be a huge blow to the title chances for both of them. Hence, the pair will be stressing to keep their fortress intact in a match that is expected to be nervy where mistakes will have major consequences for the season. Mohun Bagan has enjoyed dominance with a flurry of goals in this fixture in the ISL but it will be a close fight on Sunday considering East Bengal don't have the pressure of proving themselves this time with only a draw doing the trick for them. Both's form graph has been sense and more or less have been troubled with the same problem making it hard to separate them. We expect the same to play out at Salt Lake with a draw benefitting East Bengal while Bagan requiring them to lose points on the final day to stand any chance of keeping their title defence alive.
